Dr Smarajit Patnaik DNB
Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Apollo Hospitals
Bhubaneswar
Proximal Tibial Fractures in
the elderly: Surgical
considerations
Objectives
• Understand complexity
• Appreciate mechanics
• Classify
• Achieve a rational treatment plan
–Articular
–Metaphyseal
–Soft tissues
Tibial plateau
• Articular fracture by definition
• Aim for:
–Perfect reduction of articular surface
–Absolute stability (compression)
Caused by a variety of forces:
•Valgus/varus deformation
•Torsional forces due to slip and fall
•Axial compression
•Flexion/extension
•Direct trauma
Fracture mechanisms
Fracture mechanisms
• 1% of all fractures:
– Lateral plateau: 60%
– Medial plateau: 25%
– Bi-condylar: 15%
• Two subgroups exist
• Young patients with good bone stock—high-
energy
• Elderly patients with osteoporosis—low-
energy
Classification of
proximal tibial fractures (41-A)• A: extraarticular
– A1: avulsion
– A2: metaphyseal simple
– A3: metaphyseal multifragmentary
•
Classification of
proximal tibial fractures (41-B)
• B: partial articular
– B1: pure split
– B2: pure depression
– B3: split-depression
Classification of
proximal tibial fractures (41-C)• C: complete articular
– C1: articular simple, metaphyseal simple
– C2: articular simple, metaphyseal multifragmentary
– C3: articular multifragmentary
Schatzker Classification
• Schatzker I
– Split of the lateral tibial
plateau without
depression
Schatzker Classification
• Schatzker II
– Split and depressed
fracture of the lateral
tibial condyle
Schatzker Classification
• Schatzker III
– Isolated depression of
the lateral tibial
plateau
Schatzker Classification
• Schatzker IV
– Fractured medial
plateau
Schatzker Classification
• Schatzker V
– Bicondylar fracture
Schatzker Classification
• Schatzker VI
– Bicondylar fracture and
diaphyseal/metaphyseal
dissociation
Posterior shear fracture
• Pure posterior
fracture fragments
• Does not fit into
Schatzker’s
classification, may
be bicondylar, or a
knee dislocation
variant.
• Needs posterior
approach
• Usually cruciate
ligament avulsions.
Intercondylar eminence fracture
Etiology: high-energy trauma
Extensive damage to the soft tissues:
• Contusions
• Open injuries
• Compartment syndrome
• Peroneal and tibial nerve injury
• Popliteal artery injury
Etiology: low-energy trauma
• Axial trauma
• No contusions
• Closed injuries
• Less soft-tissue problems
• Axis deviation
• Fixation problem (osteoporosis)
Etiology
• In low-energy trauma the problem is:
– Mechanical—fixation in osteoporotic bone
• In high-energy trauma the problem is:
– Biological and associated with damage to the
soft tissues
Investigations
• X-ray
– AP and lateral views
– 45°oblique views
• Computed tomography (CT)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Angiography
• Plain X-Ray:
• Supine AP and lateral view for all patients
• Internal and external oblique view
• Obtain contralateral AP and Lateral (compare)
• Tibial plateau view: AP with knee extended and beam
directed 15 degrees caudally
• CT scan:
• increases the diagnostic accuracy
• indicated in cases of articular depression
• shown to increase the interobserver and intraobserver
agreement on classification in tibial plateau fractures
• excellent adjuncts in the preoperative planning
Radiology
• MRI:
• alternative to CT scan or arthroscopy
• osseous as well as the soft tissue
components of the injury
• cost prohibitive for use in standard situations
• Duplex US and Arteriography:
– To evaluate associated arterial injury.
Radiology
THREE-COLUMN CONCEPT
Personality of the fracture
• Soft-tissue damage
• Degree of fracture displacement
• Degree of comminution
• Degree of joint involvement
• Osteoporosis
• Neurovascular injury
• Complex ipsilateral injuries and polytrauma
Goals of treatment
• Decompression and preservation of soft-tissues
• Reconstruction of joint surfaces
• Reconstruction of normal mechanical axis
• Early motion
Nonoperative treatment
• No joint step > 2 mm
• No axial instability
• Severe osteoporosis
• General and local contraindications (eg, medical
illness)
• Non-operative management:
– Indicated for non-displaced or minimally
displaced fractures
• Method:
– Protected weight bearing and early range-of-knee
motion in a hinged fracture brace.
– Isometric quadriceps exercises and progressive
passive, active-assisted, and active range-of-
knee motion exercises.
– Partial-weight bearing (30-40 Ib) for 8 to 12
weeks with progression to full weight bearing.
Management
Schatzker’s principles of treatment
• Immobilization > 4 weeks: residual stiffness
• ORIF and immobilization: even more residual
stiffness
• Regardless of treatment: mobilize early
• As long as mobility is preserved a secondary
reconstructive procedure is possible
• Impacted fractures cannot be dislodged by
traction or manipulation
• Depressed articular surfaces remain permanent
defects
Schatzker’s principles of treatment
Operative treatment
?
Emergency operative
treatment
• Vascular injury
• Compartment syndrome
• Open fractures
• Gross dislocation
• Floating knee
• Polytrauma
What if a proximal tibia comes on
day 2 of injury ?
• 1) Take up immediately for
surgery
• 2) Wait for investigations and
operate on second
• 3) Wait for 8-10 days and
operate later
• 4) Would operate after 1
month
Delayed surgery (damage control surgery)
• Use of a temporary spanning external fixator
will allow:
– Optimal recovery of soft tissues, appearance
of wrinkle sign.
– Preserve length and axis
• Further imaging and preoperative planning
• SCAN,SPAN,PLAN
Surgical approach
• Minimally invasive versus ORIF
– ORIF: anterior, antero lateral, (postero)medial,
(postero)lateral
• Prepare for bone grafting
• Knee flexed position, floating position and
combined approach
• Tourniquet
• Fluoroscopy
Surgical approach
Intraoperative procedure
• Expose ligamentous and meniscal structures
• Reconstruct the joint surface!
• Support the joint surface with bone or substitute
• Buttress with a plate (conventional)
• Repair the ligaments and menisci to achieve joint
stability
• Type I:
– Closed reduction then stabilized cancellous
lag screws with washers to gain compression.
• Type II:
– OR and elevation of depressed fragment
– Bone graft is placed to support the elevated
fragments
– Screws are placed across the reduced split
fracture fragments in lag mode
Operative treatment
• Type III:
– elevation through cortical fenestrations
– supported with subchondral screws and bone
graft
• Type IV:
– requires a medial buttress plate to counteract
the shear forces acting on the medial plateau
– lag screws alone are not sufficient to stabilize
these fractures
Operative treatment
Percutaneous screw and washer fixation its importance
42
Preoperative
Postoperative
Locked internal fixators
• Tibial locked internal fixators are available
• Locking head screws provide better
support than conventional screws in a
short metaphyseal fragment
• Percutaneous insertion preserves soft
tissues
• Anatomical
reduction
• Lag screw fixation
• Locking head
screws for angular
stability
• Improved pull-out
resistance
Fine wire fixator for severe soft-tissue injuries
• Reconstruction of the
joint surface
• Reconstruction of
stable axes
• Early motion
• Excellent results
- (Schatzker IV, V, and
VI)
Fine wire/Hybrid
• Exoskeleton allows:
– Attention to soft tissues
– Application of relative stability to
the metaphyseal/diaphyseal
component
• Problems:
– Fine wire irritation
– Intracapsular portals
– Must get articular reduction first!
– Patients unhappy!
Results of ORIF on tibial plateau in general
• Depends on the fracture type
• Depends on soft-tissue management
• Depends on realization of goals
• Can be excellent even in high-energy
trauma:
– Average range of motion 0–120°(87%)
– No deterioration in the 2nd 5 years
– Good prognosis
Take-home messages
• Anatomical reduction and rigid fixation of
joint surface—absolute stability
• Functional reduction and stable fixation of
metaphysis—relative stability
• Restoration of joint stability by appropriate
soft-tissue reconstruction
• Early active movement
• Non operative treatment has a role in
severe osteoporosis in elderly
• Respect the soft tissues!!!

Proximal tibial fracture

  • 1.
    Dr Smarajit PatnaikDNB Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Apollo Hospitals Bhubaneswar Proximal Tibial Fractures in the elderly: Surgical considerations
  • 2.
    Objectives • Understand complexity •Appreciate mechanics • Classify • Achieve a rational treatment plan –Articular –Metaphyseal –Soft tissues
  • 3.
    Tibial plateau • Articularfracture by definition • Aim for: –Perfect reduction of articular surface –Absolute stability (compression)
  • 4.
    Caused by avariety of forces: •Valgus/varus deformation •Torsional forces due to slip and fall •Axial compression •Flexion/extension •Direct trauma Fracture mechanisms
  • 5.
    Fracture mechanisms • 1%of all fractures: – Lateral plateau: 60% – Medial plateau: 25% – Bi-condylar: 15% • Two subgroups exist • Young patients with good bone stock—high- energy • Elderly patients with osteoporosis—low- energy
  • 6.
    Classification of proximal tibialfractures (41-A)• A: extraarticular – A1: avulsion – A2: metaphyseal simple – A3: metaphyseal multifragmentary •
  • 7.
    Classification of proximal tibialfractures (41-B) • B: partial articular – B1: pure split – B2: pure depression – B3: split-depression
  • 8.
    Classification of proximal tibialfractures (41-C)• C: complete articular – C1: articular simple, metaphyseal simple – C2: articular simple, metaphyseal multifragmentary – C3: articular multifragmentary
  • 9.
    Schatzker Classification • SchatzkerI – Split of the lateral tibial plateau without depression
  • 10.
    Schatzker Classification • SchatzkerII – Split and depressed fracture of the lateral tibial condyle
  • 11.
    Schatzker Classification • SchatzkerIII – Isolated depression of the lateral tibial plateau
  • 12.
    Schatzker Classification • SchatzkerIV – Fractured medial plateau
  • 13.
    Schatzker Classification • SchatzkerV – Bicondylar fracture
  • 14.
    Schatzker Classification • SchatzkerVI – Bicondylar fracture and diaphyseal/metaphyseal dissociation
  • 15.
    Posterior shear fracture •Pure posterior fracture fragments • Does not fit into Schatzker’s classification, may be bicondylar, or a knee dislocation variant. • Needs posterior approach
  • 16.
    • Usually cruciate ligamentavulsions. Intercondylar eminence fracture
  • 17.
    Etiology: high-energy trauma Extensivedamage to the soft tissues: • Contusions • Open injuries • Compartment syndrome • Peroneal and tibial nerve injury • Popliteal artery injury
  • 18.
    Etiology: low-energy trauma •Axial trauma • No contusions • Closed injuries • Less soft-tissue problems • Axis deviation • Fixation problem (osteoporosis)
  • 19.
    Etiology • In low-energytrauma the problem is: – Mechanical—fixation in osteoporotic bone • In high-energy trauma the problem is: – Biological and associated with damage to the soft tissues
  • 20.
    Investigations • X-ray – APand lateral views – 45°oblique views • Computed tomography (CT) • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) • Angiography
  • 21.
    • Plain X-Ray: •Supine AP and lateral view for all patients • Internal and external oblique view • Obtain contralateral AP and Lateral (compare) • Tibial plateau view: AP with knee extended and beam directed 15 degrees caudally • CT scan: • increases the diagnostic accuracy • indicated in cases of articular depression • shown to increase the interobserver and intraobserver agreement on classification in tibial plateau fractures • excellent adjuncts in the preoperative planning Radiology
  • 22.
    • MRI: • alternativeto CT scan or arthroscopy • osseous as well as the soft tissue components of the injury • cost prohibitive for use in standard situations • Duplex US and Arteriography: – To evaluate associated arterial injury. Radiology
  • 23.
  • 25.
    Personality of thefracture • Soft-tissue damage • Degree of fracture displacement • Degree of comminution • Degree of joint involvement • Osteoporosis • Neurovascular injury • Complex ipsilateral injuries and polytrauma
  • 26.
    Goals of treatment •Decompression and preservation of soft-tissues • Reconstruction of joint surfaces • Reconstruction of normal mechanical axis • Early motion
  • 27.
    Nonoperative treatment • Nojoint step > 2 mm • No axial instability • Severe osteoporosis • General and local contraindications (eg, medical illness)
  • 28.
    • Non-operative management: –Indicated for non-displaced or minimally displaced fractures • Method: – Protected weight bearing and early range-of-knee motion in a hinged fracture brace. – Isometric quadriceps exercises and progressive passive, active-assisted, and active range-of- knee motion exercises. – Partial-weight bearing (30-40 Ib) for 8 to 12 weeks with progression to full weight bearing. Management
  • 29.
    Schatzker’s principles oftreatment • Immobilization > 4 weeks: residual stiffness • ORIF and immobilization: even more residual stiffness • Regardless of treatment: mobilize early • As long as mobility is preserved a secondary reconstructive procedure is possible
  • 30.
    • Impacted fracturescannot be dislodged by traction or manipulation • Depressed articular surfaces remain permanent defects Schatzker’s principles of treatment
  • 31.
  • 32.
    Emergency operative treatment • Vascularinjury • Compartment syndrome • Open fractures • Gross dislocation • Floating knee • Polytrauma
  • 33.
    What if aproximal tibia comes on day 2 of injury ? • 1) Take up immediately for surgery • 2) Wait for investigations and operate on second • 3) Wait for 8-10 days and operate later • 4) Would operate after 1 month
  • 34.
    Delayed surgery (damagecontrol surgery) • Use of a temporary spanning external fixator will allow: – Optimal recovery of soft tissues, appearance of wrinkle sign. – Preserve length and axis • Further imaging and preoperative planning • SCAN,SPAN,PLAN
  • 36.
    Surgical approach • Minimallyinvasive versus ORIF – ORIF: anterior, antero lateral, (postero)medial, (postero)lateral • Prepare for bone grafting • Knee flexed position, floating position and combined approach • Tourniquet • Fluoroscopy
  • 37.
  • 38.
    Intraoperative procedure • Exposeligamentous and meniscal structures • Reconstruct the joint surface! • Support the joint surface with bone or substitute • Buttress with a plate (conventional) • Repair the ligaments and menisci to achieve joint stability
  • 39.
    • Type I: –Closed reduction then stabilized cancellous lag screws with washers to gain compression. • Type II: – OR and elevation of depressed fragment – Bone graft is placed to support the elevated fragments – Screws are placed across the reduced split fracture fragments in lag mode Operative treatment
  • 40.
    • Type III: –elevation through cortical fenestrations – supported with subchondral screws and bone graft • Type IV: – requires a medial buttress plate to counteract the shear forces acting on the medial plateau – lag screws alone are not sufficient to stabilize these fractures Operative treatment
  • 41.
    Percutaneous screw andwasher fixation its importance 42
  • 43.
  • 45.
    Locked internal fixators •Tibial locked internal fixators are available • Locking head screws provide better support than conventional screws in a short metaphyseal fragment • Percutaneous insertion preserves soft tissues
  • 48.
    • Anatomical reduction • Lagscrew fixation • Locking head screws for angular stability • Improved pull-out resistance
  • 56.
    Fine wire fixatorfor severe soft-tissue injuries • Reconstruction of the joint surface • Reconstruction of stable axes • Early motion • Excellent results - (Schatzker IV, V, and VI)
  • 58.
    Fine wire/Hybrid • Exoskeletonallows: – Attention to soft tissues – Application of relative stability to the metaphyseal/diaphyseal component • Problems: – Fine wire irritation – Intracapsular portals – Must get articular reduction first! – Patients unhappy!
  • 59.
    Results of ORIFon tibial plateau in general • Depends on the fracture type • Depends on soft-tissue management • Depends on realization of goals • Can be excellent even in high-energy trauma: – Average range of motion 0–120°(87%) – No deterioration in the 2nd 5 years – Good prognosis
  • 61.
    Take-home messages • Anatomicalreduction and rigid fixation of joint surface—absolute stability • Functional reduction and stable fixation of metaphysis—relative stability • Restoration of joint stability by appropriate soft-tissue reconstruction • Early active movement • Non operative treatment has a role in severe osteoporosis in elderly • Respect the soft tissues!!!

Editor's Notes

  • #2 Published: August 2013
  • #5 References: Kennedy JC, Bailey WH. Experimental tibial-plateau fractures. Studies of the mechanism and a classification. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1968 Dec;50(8):1522-34.
  • #39 Images courtesy of AO Surgery Reference.
  • #53 The screws indicated should probably be omitted in line with current bridging osteosynthesis practice. Lecturer can choose to challange participants on this point prior to showing this slide.